


Shattered

by DyslexicSquirrel



Series: Stony Bingo 2019 [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 04:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20129602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DyslexicSquirrel/pseuds/DyslexicSquirrel
Summary: The beeping of the machines was driving Tony crazy, but he couldn’t make himself leave. Not while Steve was still here and he couldn’t really be mad at the incessant beeping because it meant Steve was still alive.





	Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> Stony Bingo 2019 round 2 (square O4)  
Prompt: forced to face fear

The beeping of the machines was driving Tony crazy, but he couldn’t make himself leave. Not while Steve was still here and he couldn’t really be mad at the incessant beeping because it meant Steve was still alive. Natasha had been by yesterday with a new change of clothes and to get an update—which was there was no update, except for taking the breathing tube out—everything else was the same, Steve still hadn’t woken up. The serum was the only reason he hadn’t died. His injuries were healing, but the damage from the explosion had been extensive. Collapsed lung, internal bleeding, broken bones, the wounds from the rebar puncturing his body...

“It’s a trap, the place is rigged to blow,” the echo of Steve’s voice from that day played in his mind. “Move, move, move! Everyone out.” 

“What about you?” 

“Get the hostages out,” he’d said in his Captain’s voice. He’d been running, not that he’d been out of breath, but Tony could hear the sound of his boots moving fast, up the stairs from the lower levels he’d assumed. But then Steve’s voice had softened, that particular tone he reserved for Tony and usually only when they were alone. And Tony should have known, should have wondered why he hadn’t taken the time to switch over to their private line. It only would have taken a second, but Tony was distracted by herding a bunch of hostages who were scared and weak outside with Natasha that he hadn’t. Steve had said, “I’ll see you top side, Tony.” 

But that had been a lie. By the time they had unburied Steve from the rubble, he was unconscious and hadn’t been able to see Tony at all. But at the time, Tony had been too busy being glad that Steve had been breathing and later that they’d gotten his heart started when it stopped in the Quinjet on the way to the compound. 

In the three weeks since then he’d had plenty of time to get pissed, ping ponging between begging and cursing. Don’t do this to me. You lying son of a bitch. You promised me this would never happen. If you die I’ll find a way to bring you back and kill you myself. I need you. Wake up so I can yell at you. I can’t do this without you. 

He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs and dropped his face in his hands. 

Rhodey was out of country doing his War Machine thing, but he called. Tony didn’t return his messages. Pepper came by to sit with him when she had time between running a company. She’d be here more if he let her, but he didn’t. 

He couldn’t deal with them  _ and _ this. He had no room for them. This was worse than his nightmares already, but this wasn’t rock bottom. There was room to fall. And if it did… he’d need them and he didn’t think he could keep it together enough right now to not say something to drive them away. He was selfish enough to push them away now in case he needed them later. 

His hands fisted in his hair and he squeezed his eyes shut, listening to the  _ beep beep beep.  _ Note to self: make medical equipment that isn’t so aurally offensive. Maybe make it play Motzart. 

He was so focused on the damn beeping he almost didn’t notice the new sound in the room. When he did, his head shot up, eyes zeroing in on the still form on the hospital bed that wasn’t entirely still anymore. Steve groaned again, shifting, eyelids fluttering, and Tony was up and standing by the side of the bed before he was conscious of the thought to move. Careful of the IV Tony gripped his hand. “Steve?” 

“Tony?” Steve’s voice was wrecked, the sound almost unrecognizable as his name, but he knew. The sight of those familiar blue eyes after weeks of thinking he might not see them again made Tony shudder. He folded in on himself, gripping Steve’s hand between both of his, the bed rail digging uncomfortably into his stomach. “Ow,” Steve said softly when Tony’s forehead pressed against his abdomen. 

“Sorry,” he choked out, trying to move, but his body felt like lead. 

“No, no. Shhh,” Steve said and Tony felt a hand stroking his hair. How messed up was that? That Steve had been the one in a coma for three weeks and he was comforting Tony. But it was just like him, the noble jerk. Tony started laughing, but it quickly dissolved into tears that he hid in Steve’s hospital gown. But he knew anyway. If Steve couldn’t hear it, he could feel the wetness on his skin, and the hand that had been carding through his hair gripped the back of his head, a steady weight holding him in place while he let out all the pent up emotions from the last three weeks of hell. 

When the tears stopped and Tony could breathe almost steadily, he slowly unfolded and Steve’s hand slid from his head. When he turned to look at Steve’s face, still bearing slight bruising that had faded to a sickly yellow, the other man smiled at him. “Go on. Let me have it.” 

Tony face scrunched up in anger. “Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again, you son of a bitch.” His ire was short lived, tempered by relief, and the feeling of Steve cupping his cheek. 

“Come here,” Steve said softly, voice still raspy. He should get him some water, Tony thought, followed swiftly by he didn’t promise, but it didn’t matter when a moment later their lips were pressed together for the first time since right before the mission that almost took Steve from him, right before the faceplate snapped into place and he flew out of the plane. Unlike then Steve’s lips were dry and chapped, but it was the best kiss Tony could remember because Steve was awake and talking and  _ kissing him.  _

It didn’t last long before Steve was settling back against the pillow with a grimace of pain, breathing a little faster than normal, the beeping of the heart monitor letting Tony know his heart rate was elevated. The nurse would be in soon, probably. But Tony didn’t move and Steve looked up at him and deadpanned, “Now, go brush your teeth, your breath smells.” 

Tony was laughing when the nurse did, in fact, come in. He moved out of the way so she could check Steve’s vitals and change his fluids. There’d be time enough later to lecture Steve about being so careless with his life because he was finally awake and  _ okay _ . Tony would need to drive home the point, though, because he didn’t think he could live through that kind of fear again. 


End file.
